Latin dance gains popularity in SZ

As more and more people are showing interest in Latin dance, new instructor-led dance lessons and Latin-themed dance parties are popping up across Shenzhen basically every day.

One such Latin dance event, organized by Cao Enqi and Chen Wenyan, was held at Fama Dance Studio on Feb. 1. Amga Gamboa, who has been dancing since he was a kid in Colombia, shared about the cultures of the salsa and bachata dances with participants.

“When I was a kid in Colombia, everyone danced salsa. We dance all our lives,” said Gamboa. He explained that salsa is a Latin dance with different regional subsets: Colombian, Cuban, a style from Los Angeles and a style from New York, to name a few.

“Every country has its own style. I always dance Colombian salsa: the styles called cali, pachanga and boogaloo. Salsa is the most popular type of music in Latin America, I believe, followed by bachata, merengue, and reguetón,” added Gamboa.

“I think the passionate motions of Latin dance are capable of directly expressing one’s feeling. The dancer translates the rhythm of the music into emotional meaning through their body movement,” said Chen, adding that nowadays Latin culture has gained popularity across the world.

Cao, who had lived in Spain for about ten years, disclosed that the event attracted several Hispanic residents, many of whom did not learn to dance in their home countries.

“But now that they're in China, they find that the dance serves as a good bridge for communication, so they want to join in. We have some British and American participants, but most of the attendees are Chinese as they are most interested in learning this open and passionate dance,” said Cao.

Zhan Man, one of the participants, enjoyed the event a lot, saying, “It provides us a good opportunity for socializing, entertainment, and exercise. Everyone is moving with the music.”

Now that Latin dance culture is spreading across the city, some dance lovers are sharing the culture with people for free. For example, there are two free Latin dance courses offered at the Civic Center every Sunday afternoon.

Alvaro Adrian Esquivel teaches basic salsa steps.

The first free session, called the Shenzhen Salsa Beginner Class, initiated by Patrice Guilemond from France and co-organized by Oswaldo Loor from Ecuador, starts at 2 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Dance enthusiasts including Alvaro Adrian Esquivel from Colombia and Daniel Canosa from Spain teach some basic steps of salsa, bachata and kizomba to citizens.

Daniel Canosa (R) shows basic salsa steps.

The second free session, called "Outdoor Cuban Salsa Party," starts at 4 p.m. right after the first one. A Chinese teacher teaches Rueda de Casino and also plays music for free-style salsa, bachata and kizomba dancing.

Dance lovers can also attend parties on Tuesdays and Sundays at Bang Club at Coco Park, a Wednesday party at Merci Club at Coco Park, and a Saturday party at Miss Nan near the Convention & Exhibition Center metro station. There is also a Friday night party, the venue for which is not set. Normally the parties begin at 9:30 p.m. and last till midnight.